How Alabama, Duke, and Michigan State can go deep in March Madness
USA TODAY Network reporters break down the top key for Alabama, Duke, Michigan State and more to make a deep March Madness run.
No. 8 seed Gonzaga and No. 9 seed Georgia play Thursday, March 20, in a March Madness NCAA Tournament first-round game at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
The Midwest Region game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. MST and can be seen on TBS (stream with Sling TV).
Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round in the NCAA bracket?
Check out these NCAA Tournament first-round picks and predictions for the men’s college basketball matchup.
Gonzaga is a 6.5-point favorite over Georgia in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Zags are -275 on the moneyline. The Bulldogs are +220. The over/under for the game is set at 151.5 points.
Thursday March Madness first round picks: Louisville vs Creighton | Purdue vs High Point | Wisconsin vs Montana | Houston vs SIUE | Auburn vs Alabama State | Clemson vs McNeese | BYU vs VCU | Gonzaga vs Georgia | Tennessee vs Wofford | Kansas vs Arkansas | Texas A&M vs Yale | Missouri vs Drake | UCLA vs Utah State | St. John’s vs Omaha | Michigan vs UCSD | Texas Tech vs UNCW | The Republic’s predictions
Friday March Madness first round picks: Mississippi State vs Baylor | Alabama vs Robert Morris | Iowa State vs Lipscomb | Memphis vs Colorado State | Duke vs Mount St. Mary’s | Saint Mary’s vs Vanderbilt | Ole Miss vs North Carolina | Maryland vs Grand Canyon | Florida vs Norfolk State | Kentucky vs Troy | Marquette vs New Mexico | Arizona vs Akron | UConn vs Oklahoma | Illinois vs Xavier | Michigan State vs Bryant | Oregon vs Liberty | The Republic’s predictions
Watch Georgia vs Gonzaga on Sling TV
Jeremy Cluff writes: “Gonzaga is 25-8 on the season. It won the West Coast Conference tournament. And it’s a No. 8 seed? Georgia has had some big wins this season. This game could be a thriller.”
More March Madness: How to watch games | TV channels | Game times | Announcers | Schedule today | Picks today | Upset picks | Win probabilities | NCAA Tournament odds | Game odds | Odds today | Printable bracket
Dimers: Gonzaga 80, Georgia 83
It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives Georgia a win probability of 25%, while Gonzaga has a win probability of 75%.”
Marc Weiszer writes: “Gonzaga is No. 8 in the NCAA NET. Georgia has played six games against teams higher than that in the SEC this season, coming out with a win only against Florida. The Zags are 5-5 against Quad 1 teams this season but lost to Quad 2 teams West Virginia, Santa Clara and Washington State this season. The Bulldogs have played well down the stretch and have the makeup to pull off the upset with a close win.”
Sporting News: Take Gonzaga to defeat Georgia
Teddy Ricketson writes: “The thing that will likely benefit Gonzaga is its experience. All five of their key players are seniors and have been to the big dance multiple times. Georgia was battle tested in the SEC this year but relied a lot on young players stepping up. The team already saw an early exit in the conference tournament when playing on a bigger stage at a neutral site. When it gets amplified in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the lights might be too bright for the Dawgs.”
ESPN: Gonzaga has a 71.3% chance to beat Georgia
The site gives the Bulldogs a 28.7% shot at defeating the Zags in Thursday’s first-round March Madness NCAA Tournament game.
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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